Over 800 years before the Common Era, King Li of Zhou ruled with such cruelty that the common people could only whisper their grievances behind his back.
A minister named Duke Shao told King Li of Zhou, "The common people can no longer endure your tyrannical decrees."
King Li of Zhou flew into a rage and summoned a shaman from the state of Wei, commanding him to use his divine powers to spy on anyone speaking ill of the king. Anyone the shaman reported was immediately executed. From then on, the people dared not utter a word; meeting on the road, they could only exchange glances, their anger burning silently but their voices forever silenced.
When King Li learned of this, he was overjoyed and smugly told the Duke of Shao, "I have managed to stop the people's criticism; they no longer dare to speak."
Shao Gong strongly disagreed, saying, "Your method is merely sealing the people's mouths. Preventing the people from speaking out is harder than stopping a river from flooding. If a river is blocked, it will burst its banks, causing great harm to many. Blocking the people's mouths will have the same result."
At this point, seeing King Li's distracted demeanor, the Duke of Shao raised his voice slightly and said, "Therefore, those who control water open gaps to let it flow, and those who govern the people relax restrictions to let them speak."
Shao Gong then explained that when a ruler governs, he must listen to the opinions of officials at all levels to fully understand the people's sentiments and customs. He concluded, 'The mouths of the people cannot be sealed shut. If you block them, your throne will not last long.'
As King Li of Zhou listened, his patience wore thin. Duke Shao's honest advice fell on deaf ears. The king continued his oppressive rule, silencing all dissent until the kingdom fell into a deathly silence, with no one daring to speak a word.
At the height of King Li of Zhou's arrogance, the people's rebellion finally erupted. King Li was thrown from his imperial throne and exiled to a place called Zhi.
For those throughout history who have relied on suppressing public opinion to maintain their rule, King Li of Zhou serves as an excellent mirror.
Later, the idiom "exchanging glances on the road" came to describe people living under tyranny, who dared not speak when meeting on the street and could only communicate with their eyes.
Source: *Guoyu*, Chapter "Zhou Yu, Part 1"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "道路以目" came to describe people living under tyranny, who dared not speak when meeting on the street and could only communicate with their eyes.